Mind-Body Connection Beauty
As a health & life coach I believe that how we feel greatly impacts how we show up in the world, our relationships and quality of life in general. You may have heard of the mind-body connection which is the link between a person’s thoughts, attitude, beliefs and behaviors, and their physical health.
The evidence supports….
There is scientific evidence and tons of studies to support the fact that a positive mind-body connection can improve our quality of life, reduce stress and anxiety. Some evidence even suggests there is a direct connection between how stressful and traumatic events in our life manifest as pain in our body. That’s a whole other topic, but I was very intrigued by this having dealt with back pain much of my life so wanted to throw it out there in case you are interested in researching this further.
Has this ever happened to you?
Have you ever had a conflict with a friend, family member or co-worker that caused you to feel sick to your stomach or lose sleep – even just mentally drained you? I watched a movie recently where someone was so distressed they actually threw up (sorry for that visual, but it’s a powerful point). Do you know someone who has suffered an injury that prevented them from participating in an activity or sport they love? It may have led to depression, lack of appetite, stress or increased anxiety.
Maybe you have even experienced (or know someone who has) a heartbreak, where it literally felt like your heart has been broken in two. I can even remember saying to my daughter when she was young and feeling anxious about something, “you’re going to make yourself sick.” We have all had experiences where we haven’t felt good on the outside and unfortunately took it out on those closest to us or made us just want to climb in bed and watch Netflix all day. All examples of the powerful connection between our mind, beliefs, behavior and body.
Let’s not forget the power of stress!
We also know there is a definite connection (supported also by scientific research) between stress and our health. An increase in stress can have an impact on our overall health and immune system, and contribute to everything from weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, digestive issues to fatigue, insomnia and hair loss. I’d like to say that’s all, but it’s really just the short list.
Yikes!
So, what do we do? Just having a positive attitude, which of course is always great, isn’t enough and life of course is still going to happen. Managing our stress is critical to our overall health. So much so that I’ll be sharing more just about stress itself in the next week or so. We can also always work on creating a positive mind-body connection and awareness is a great place to start. When you are feeling “bad” what thoughts and beliefs are also present?
- First, I want you to recognize and acknowledge your thoughts and beliefs.
- Then I want to challenge YOU to lovingly challenge any negative thoughts and beliefs you have. For instance, what is going on at the moment causing you to think that way, what else might be true, etc. I’ll repeat LOVINGLY because it is important to remember, we are not wrong for feeling or thinking a certain way. However, are our thoughts and beliefs creating the experiences and outcome we desire? If not, there is always room to create something different ;o).
- The next step would be to look at your behaviors and habits. Are they in alignment with your desired outcome?
It is a lot, I know, but to achieve optimal health it is worth paying attention to the mind-body connection and the greater impact on our health and life.
Since stress is always lurking about, here is a short list of ideas to reduce stress and boost mood.
- Breath deeply!
- Movement
- Creating healthy habits (even just 1)
- Lifestyle
- Meditation
- Drink more water
- Eat healthy
- Find joy
- Laugh
- Self-care – add daily
- Positive thinking
More tools and resources can be found on my website. Now that you have some fresh perspective on the mind-body connection – has it stirred any thoughts about your current mind-body relationship? You can find me on Facebook.
Remember to live by design! With love & gratitude,
Jeanette
